


Delights Not Me

by MsJackofAllFandoms



Series: Little Things Mean A Lot [2]
Category: Queen (Band)
Genre: Acceptance, Asexual Brian May, Asexual Character, Family Dynamics, Gen, Mentions of unicorns, Movie Night, Platonic Cuddling, Popcorn, Rated for swearing, Ridge Farm era, Roger is a big kid inside, Sappy Ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-02
Updated: 2020-12-02
Packaged: 2021-03-10 04:00:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,911
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27838003
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MsJackofAllFandoms/pseuds/MsJackofAllFandoms
Summary: Sequel to The Beauty of the World - The Paragon of Animals.I wanted to legitmise the first part with a more realistic sequel. The first part doesn't need to be read, if you don't like the idea of the band interacting with mythical creatures, but read the notes inside for a summary.
Series: Little Things Mean A Lot [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2037610
Comments: 2
Kudos: 10





	Delights Not Me

**Author's Note:**

> I already knew I was going to legitimise [the last fic](https://archiveofourown.org/works/26471254) with a sequel, it just took a while to write it out. You don't need to read Paragon of Animals, you just need to know that they go on a walk through a field and come across a unicorn and Brian is the only one who can safely interact with it. After the first mention of the unicorn, it's more just Brian talking to each of them. With some hugging!

The other three looked up as Brian meandered into the barn’s converted kitchen rather sheepishly, his face a bit flushed. “Um… hey.” He said, smiling at them tightly. 

Freddie looked between the other two as they looked on in wait for Brian to continue, but Brian didn’t look like he was going to do so unprompted. “Hello darling, everything alright?”

Brian stood up a bit straighter, “I just wanted to say, uh, I don't know which one of you it was, but uh thank you. It was very thoughtful of you and I really appreciate it.”

Freddie smiled, as if he knew what Brian was talking about. The other two did the same thing. 

“It's no problem Bri.” Roger replied first, “Er. Hope it, uh, helped?”

Brian visibly sagged in relief. “It did. It really did,” He looked between them, brighter than before. “I might tell you about it… not now, one day… maybe. But… thank you.” He nodded at them as if in conclusion. “I'll see you so later.” He waved as he turned, the the sound of the front door opening and closing behind him sounded out through the flat.

“The fuck was that about?” Freddie asked.

Roger shrugged, “No idea. I just wanted to stop looking at us so awkwardly.”

Freddie tutted, “Well what are you going to do it he starts talking to you about whatever the fuck he was just talking about?”

Roger shrugged again, “Same thing I do uni. Blag it with a smile and go from the context.”

Freddie dropped his head into his hands and groaned, before raising his head and shaking it in amused disbelief. “Roger… I hate that you're so smart like that, darling. If you were evil, we’d all be dead by now.” He turned to John and nodded at him. “You must know what it's about, Deaky.”   


John looked at them as the last few minutes wasn’t the most strangest interaction they’d had in the kitchen in a while. “What makes you think I do?”

Freddie gave him a very unimpressed look. “Someone did  _ something _ , dear, and it wasn't me, and it wasn't Roger, and Brian seemed to think he had no reason to think it  _ wasn't _ one of us, so it must have been you.”

John opened his mouth, closed it again and then also shrugged. “Well. Alright. But it's not my business to tell.”   


“At least give Roger a heads up, for when Brian goes to him about whatever it is.”   


“Hmm... maybe get familiar with the Kinsey scale and ask yourself why a 26 year old might be safe in the presence of a unicorn…”

With that he picked up the magazine he’d been closely reading before Brian had interrupted them, leaving Freddie and Roger to look at each other cluelessly. 

“Kinsey scale?” Freddie asked.

“Something to do with sex.” Roger said, shrugging. 

Freddie looked even more confused. 

  
  
_ Later that night _

  
  


Brian sidled up to Roger whilst Roger was preparing their snacks for film night, pouring the popcorn from the freshly uncovered pan into a bowl. “Is it really okay then?” Brian murmured, a sign he was feeling unsure.

Roger smiled brightly at him, “Brian, it's more than okay. It's  _ you _ .”

Roger picked up the bowl and the large teapot hidden underneath the tea cosy, and nodded at Brian to signal he was heading in to the living room. 

Brian followed, and would have even without the direction. He was actually looking forward to the film they’d chosen tonight. “I was worried, you know? About what you'd say, particularly.” 

“Why?” Roger asked, not unkindly, as he placed the bowl and tea pot onto the coffee table next to the four empty teacups already placed there. 

Brian scoffed. “You're a ladies man, Roger, two or three at a time, sometimes…” He sighed as he sat down, and tried not to shuffle and show his awkwardness. “I thought you might try and convince me I'm wrong or something.” He said, his voice getting quieter as the words got harder to speak the further along his sentence he. 

Roger looked over in shock. “Oh Brian.” He sat sideways on the couch to face Brian, and grasped his hand. “ I'm sorry you felt- I'm sorry if something  _ I _ did or said anything that made you feel that way. I've only ever wanted you to be happy.”

Brian nodded and smiled, relief visibly washing through him. “Thank you. I'm getting there, you know? Now I know this is a valid option.”

Roger nodded. “Good. I think I should tell you though-”

Brian’s face flickered in unease. “What?”

Roger rolled his eyes and tapped Brian on the shoulder. “Don't look so worried! I just meant, Deaky figured it out first.”

“Oh.”   


“In fact,” Roger continued, “The pamphlet was his idea.”

That had Brian looking up at Roger in surprise. “Really?”

Roger nodded. “Yep. Two steps ahead as always.”

“And Freddie?” Brian asked. 

“Two steps behind,” Roger replied and then winked. “But also happy as long as you're happy.”

Brian bit his lip, still relieved, and happy, and then hugged Roger tightly. Roger immediately wrapped his arms around Brian and returned the hug, only to be squeezed even harder. “Ooft, alright Bri.” He felt Brian trying to control shaky breathing and squeezed him back harder too, and rubbed his back.

“I would say I can come back later darlings but we only have the one couch and I'm knackered.” Freddie said, announcing his presence as well as giving them a warning for the sudden incoming that would be Freddie dropping on the couch. “Bri?” He asked, putting an arm around him next to Roger’s, “Are you alright?”

He pulled away and did a bad job of discretely wiping his eyes. But he did smile at Freddie, and it was genuine and warm. “Yeah. Never better, Fred.”

“That's good darling. I'm glad to hear it.” Freddie reached over Roger and kissed him on the temple. They both ignored Roger’s squawk. “Is this still alright, darling?”

Brian hummed in confusion, and then realised what Freddie meant. “Oh, yes! That’s fine.” Freddie pulled back with a smile, and Roger loudly sighed as if a great weight had stopped crushing him. The drummer’s dramatics were ignored. 

“Where did Deaky go?” Brian asked.

Freddie pointed out into the hallway, “To call Veronica and the kids, say goodnight to them.” Freddie said, as if the whole prospect was boring and he was terribly put out by it. “Serenade her with poetry and that sort of stuff you know.” They knew he was joking but he winked anyway.

“Ah. Well I'll wait then.”

Roger huffed, “Right well, let’s start the film without him because he could be hours yet.”  
  


An hour later and some murders by the film’s Femme Fatale had occured by the time John made his appearance. When he saw the popcorn bowl was already empty, he offered to make more before sitting down and the bowl was silently thrusted at him by Freddie, who was too engrossed in the movie to break his concentration. Luckily, John was used to it, and even guilty of it himself when it was film he watched. 

He was barely out of the room when he barely had time to reply to Brian’s quite call of his name before he was enveloped in a tight, long armed hug. 

“Ooft,” Deaky said on impact, “Yeah?”

“Thank you so much.” 

Deaky knew what Brian meant immediately. “it's alright Bri.” He patted Brian’s back awkwardly, “It's alright.”

“I was worried what Roger would think the most, but… I was also worried what you'd think too.” Brian confessed quietly, still holding on tight. “Roger said the pamphlet was your idea.”

“Oh. Well. Yeah. “ John replied, feeling rather useless. He was much better at words for more practical problems when he could fix them. “Why were you worried what I'd say?”

Brian hesitated to answer, so John pulled away from their hug to look at Brian in the face for some clues, and encouragement in a bid to ease the guitarist’s worries. 

“You're the family man.” Brian eventually said, shrugging. 

John understood what he meant immediately, “Oh Bri, you idiot.” He reprimanded.

Brian shrugged again, but at least made eye contact to show his words were taken as intended. “Yeah. I know. I know that now.”

John put the empty popcorn bowl on the little sideboard table by the doorway and took hold of Brian’s shoulders. “Did you read the bit of the pamphlet which said people might say to you that you can’t possibly know unless you try?”

Brian creased his forehead in thought. “Uh, yes?” 

“I'll happily punch anyone who says that to you.”

It made Brian bark out a laugh in surprise. “Please don't. Roger gets into enough fights for all of us.”

An indignant oi of denial came from the living room behind them, followed by Freddie’s reminder that they did have a point.  
  


“Well I’m not gonna stand there and let anyone-“ Roger started, but John rolled his eyes and pulled Brian out of the doorway and further into the kitchen, closing the separator door behind them. It muffled the drummer’s rant somewhat. 

“it would be worth it.” He continued and finished his point. “Are you alright?”

Brian smiled and meant it. “Never better, now.” 

“Good.”

The separator door swung open, revealing Roger. “It’s getting good so we’vepaused it for you. You not got that popcorn on yet?”

John rolled his eyes and got more popcorn out of the box in the cupboard, and fired up the gas cooker. 

“Anyone want more tea? It’s my turn to make some more, if we’re all having one.” Brian asked, and gestured to the living room where the teapot was, also now empty.

“I was going to make cocoa actually.”

“Aw yes, that’d be great Deaks!” Roger said, and continued standing by the doorway.

“Oh, I can do that.” Brian offered and went over to the cupboard to get more cups out. John put his hand out to stop him.

“You don’t have to, you go sit down, Bri.”

“Should I look for the marshmallows?” Roger asked.  


“Do we have any?” Brian asked, looking between them both and the cupboards.

“I’ll go check, you sit down.“

“I don’t fucking care who does what!” Freddie shouted from the living room, “As long as they do it quickly! He's found the sister's coat with blood on it, I want to see if-“

“You can’t hurry popcorn, Freddie, it pops on its own time.”

“Then the sooner you get it going, the sooner we can eat it and unpause this movie!”

Brian rolled his eyes this time, used to the dramatics when it came to the singers love of film noir. “I’ll do the popcorn, you do the cocoa, Roger can do washing up.” 

Roger nodded. “Fair enough. I’ll go get the tea set, but I’m not washing up until after the movie.”

John sighed. “Alright. Cocoa with marshmallows coming up.”

Roger left the kitchen with a whoop and John chuckled.

“What?” Brian asked.

“You call me a family man but look around you, Bri, this is a family. You’re a family man too.” 

Brian knew it wasn’t the same, not really, but John did have a point. He suddenly felt lighter than he had in a long while.   
  


He realised why as the popcorn started popping. It was because he felt accepted. It was a nice feeling. 


End file.
